


Broken Mirrors and Broken Perception

by WritingPaperGhost



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Shattered Glass
Genre: Alternate Universe, Shattered Glass, because of science, where the two Jacks swap places
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-18 22:16:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22967422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingPaperGhost/pseuds/WritingPaperGhost
Summary: With the idea that there is infinite worlds with infinite possibilities, there are some that never truly occur to us. Sometimes thinking and viewing those windows is like looking at a mirror. You expect it to be so much like the world you know. Once you learn of certain worlds, it’s like the glass of the mirror has been broken. You now perceive the world much differently than your own.Jack Darby’s life had become weird enough over the past few months. But despite being enthralled in an alien civil war, he was happy with his life. He wouldn’t change it, he wants it to become better, but the past should stay the same. After a experiment with a dangerous scientist has gone wrong, Jack finds himself in a world that’s both similar and different than his own. Good has become evil and evil has become good. In a world like that, he doesn’t know he can trust. Those he had already trusted before, who are now out to kill him, or those who he learned not to trust, who now are the only ones who cared for him?
Kudos: 38





	1. Jack, Side Shattered

**Author's Note:**

> More like an idea formed from a vague bit of dream I had right before I woke up. The title has been adjusted into something I can work with. The core ideas about the same.  
> Cross posted from my Tumblr, https://www.tumblr.com/blog/writingpaperghost

He’d known it was dangerous, Miko knew it too. Despite that, she ran through the Groundbridge, straight into the middle of a fight. The Autobots fought the Decepticons, a song and dance they were all very used to. Jack grabbed Miko’s wrist, pulling her away from the fight, consequently deeper into the cave.

“What were you thinking?” He hissed once they were far away and safe, though separated from their guardians. He was angry, as always, but by know he’d learned not to be too mad. Into do anything. “Wait, don’t answer that.”

Miko huffed, her arms crossed, “I want to see the action! You know that. Where’s you’re sense of adventure?”

“Sorry, I left it at home,” Jack responded dryly, simply glad Raf was still at base. “I’m more concerned about your safety.”

“Well don’t be! I can handle my self fine!” They were still walking, at this point thoroughly lost, though neither had noticed. Silently, they were both just hoping the Bots would find them.

“Against giant robots!?”

“Stop caring so much! It’s not _your_ problem!”

Then they heard a clank and a clink. The sounds they recognized from when Ratchet was working on something. The two looked to the sounds, finding they had wandered into something like a lab. Strange tech lined the walls, filled with symbols that they learned was Cybertronian. Standing with his back to the two humans, was a purple Cybertronian. A Decepticon. Shockwave, the dangerous scientist.

He hadn’t noticed them, not yet. They were small and relatively quiet compared to the hulking Cybertronians. He was working on something, though Jack couldn’t make out what.

“We need to go,” He harshly whispered to Miko, who frowned harder than she had been. He turned his back to leave.

“Jack!” Miko hissed, “We could sabotage whatever monobot’s working on! We could help the Bots!”

“No! That’s crazy Miko!” As he was speaking, Jack swung around to grab at Miko’s wrist again, finding she was already on her way to the device Shockwave was working on. He groaned, than proceeded to quietly make his way to where Miko stood, now fiddling with some wires.

She groaned in frustration, “Ugh! What are these things made of?”

“Metal?” Jack offered, then grabbed Miko’s wrist. “Now let’s go.”

Footsteps thundered in the hall they came from. Whoever they belonged to was running, so it was probably the Bots. Shockwave turned to face the hall, only missing the two because of how small they were, hiding them from his vision. He took a few steps forward, readying his gun. If he looked down towards his feet, he’d see Miko and Jack now.

Jack pulled Miko into an alcove, a small hiding spot where they’d be safe. Bumblebee and Arcee came running into the room, guns ready. In the blink of an eye, a fight broke out. While Jack was watching the Bots, Miko had snuck out of their hiding spot, still apparently wanting to mess with the machinery. Bee got knocked into a panel, something that seemed to activate the machine.

Jack bolted out of the hiding spot, running to Miko, who would definitely be affected by whatever that machine did. The Bots hadn’t noticed them yet, so there was no one else to save Miko, especially if this machine did something bad. He lunged forward, knocking Miko out of the way right in time, as the machine sparked, then exploded.

—

Jack fluttered in and out of consciousness. He felt himself be picked up by cold, metal hands. One of the Bots he quickly assumed. Too small to be Bumblebee. Must be Arcee. There were voices, one’s he recognized, though something was off. They were panicked, but that wasn’t what was bugging him. He slipped to sleep again.

When he woke up, he didn’t recognize where he was. It was somewhere metal, but he knew he wasn’t back at base with the Bots. He was pretty sure this wasn’t the Nemesis either… So where?

“Nurse Darby,” A voice called, one he was shocked to recognize, “He’s awake.”

Jack eye’s followed the voice to a strange red and white Cybertronian, who had turned his back to Jack. Jack had seen this Cybertronian before, on the Nemesis and during his street racing escapade with Bumblebee. Knockout, the Decepticon medic. Even though the colors didn’t quite match, a strange thing for someone so obsessed with his paintjob, the frame and voice were a match.

Before Jack could react to this revelation, his mother had appeared and wrapped her arms around him. “Mom,” Jack stumbled out, still to shocked by the Con in the room to do anything but let his arms fall limply at his sides.

“We were so worried Jack! I was so worried!” June said, “We were worried that the explosion had hurt you!”

Jack’s eyes widened at her words, “We?” He asked, “Who’s we? Where are we?” Then, as quietly as he could, “Why is Knockout here?”

June pulled back from the hug, eying his concerned. “Jack, you know who I mean. You even just mention Knockout. And you should know where we are.”

“Mom, what are you talking about?”

His mom paused for a moment, as if examining him, before turning to call to Knockout, “Knockout, are we sure that he didn’t hit his head?”

Knockout turned around, leaning to look at both Jack and June. “Positive, Nurse Darby. The scans show no sign of any head trauma. Why?”

June had a serious look on her face before she spoke, “Because he doesn’t seem to know where we are, and while he seems to know you he doesn’t seem to remember why you’d be here.” Jack was only more confused by her words. He knew who Knockout was and what he did. Jack just didn’t understand why Knockout was in the same room as him.

Knockout ran some strange scanner over him, then looked at a monitor on his arm, much in a way that Ratchet would. After regarding the monitor with a frown, he reached up to his head, seeming to contact someone. “Megatronus? You should come down to the medbay.” Megatronus? Like Megatron? But why would Knockout be referring to his leader like this. “No, it’s nothing like that. Something’s just not right.”

June regarded Jack, who was watching Knockout in what she recognized as veiled terror. She knew because he was her son, but to others he just wore a determined face. What had him so afraid? It couldn’t be Knockout, could it?

Within a minute, the doors to the medbay opened. Jack had a fleeting thought of making a break for it, risking trying to navigate the foreign halls of wherever he was, but he knew he couldn’t leave his mom. She didn’t seem like she was going to move. Walking into the medbay was a tall Cybertronian, as tall as Optimus, with silver plating and blue accents. He looked so similar to Megatron, but something was different too. There was no scowl on his face, his optics, though still red, seemed to speak of a kindness that Jack normally only really associated with Optimus.

“I see that Jack has awakened, now what is it that troubles you, Knockout?” The Cybertronian spoke, his voice one that nearly made Jack shiver. It was one that often haunted his dreams. The voiced belonged to one Con, Megatron, the leader.

Knockout regarded the monitor on his arm once again, still frowning before looking to Megatron. “Yes, he’s awake, but-”

It was June who cut him off, looking to Jack and pointing at Megatron, “Do you recognize him Jack?”

Jack looked to his mom, befuddled and scared, though he hit it. Here they were, in the same room as not just one Decepticon, but a Decepticon and the leader of the Decepticons. A warlord. And his mom was acting like these were the Bots. Except, something was wrong. Megatron, Knockout, they were both wrong. 

Knockout didn’t seem like the vain medic Jack had seen before. He honestly seemed far kinder, though also a bit like Ratchet with how he seemed to have had better things to do until something seemed wrong with Jack. Then there was Megatron, or Megatronus as Knockout kept calling him. He seemed nothing like the Megatron that Jack had seen before. He seemed genuinely concerned for Jack’s wellbeing.

“Quick question,” Jack said, “What happened before I woke up here?”

June sighed, “Miko ran and followed the Cons out into a battle. You followed her to try to keep her out of trouble. Then the two of you wandered into Wheeljack’s lab,” Wheeljack? Lab?, “Starscream and Soundwave ended up there and a machine activated. You knocked Miko out of the way before the machine exploded, then Starscream and Soundwave brought you and Miko back.”

_What?_

There was a sudden, drowning realization, a sinking feeling on Jack’s shoulders. This wasn’t right. None of this was right. The only thing that was right was his mom and Miko. What about Raf? What about the Bots?

“What are the Autobots like?” He asked shakily, fearing the answer.

Megatron- no Megatronus, this certainly wasn’t Megatron- frowned. “They are… horrible beings who wish to see your planet into ruin like our own.” No. That couldn’t be right. The Autobots are the good guys! The Decepticons are try to ruin the planet! Not the Autobots. This was all wrong. All wrong!

“Jack!” His mom placed his hands on his shoulders, an effort to ground him. “Breathe. What’s wrong?”

“Everything…” Jack mumbled, his face falling into his hands, “All of this is wrong.”

“Perhaps our young friend is in need of more rest?” Megatronus offered, causing Jack to whip his head up to meet the Cons eyes.

“I’m fine. Not tired, it’s just,” His head falls into his hands again, “wrong. Everything is wrong.” It had to be a dream. A nightmare. That’s it.

Knockout sighed, “Care to elaborate?”

“Is this a dream?” Jack asked, though he didn’t really see the point in asking. He just did. June raised an eyebrow at him.

“No, it’s very much real.” Knockout responded.

Jack felt defeat. Crushing defeat. Yet he steeled him self, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. He just hoped they’d listen. What he knew, what his world was like was significantly different than this place. He couldn’t explain what happened, but he knew that this world was not his. He just didn’t understand how.

“What I’m going to say is going to sound crazy, but you need to hear me out.”

“Of course,” Megatronus said, “What is wrong?”

“I don’t belong here,” Jack began, “Where I’m from, the Autobots are the good guys and the Decepticons want to destroy Earth.”

“That’s absurd,” Knockout scoffed.

“That’s why I was so worried when I saw Knockout here, even if he looks a bit different.”

“Jack,” June said, “You must have hit your head. You’re imagining things.”

“But mom!”

“Perhaps we should believe his words, Nurse Darby,” It was Megatronus who spoke up to Jack’s defense. “Young Jack is our friend and we’d do well to trust him. There may be truth in his words.”

“I’m serious,” Jack argued, “I don’t know how, but when I pushed Miko from Shockwaves exploding machine I ended up here.”

Megatronus regarded him for a moment, “In this world of yours, who was it that bore the title of Prime.”

“Optimus,” Jack replied, only to be met with confused looks. Wait, what was Optimus called before he was Prime? Orion… Orion Pax, that’s it. “Er, I think he was Orion Pax before?”

Megatronus, Knockout, and his mother’s eyes widened in recognition. “Orion became Prime…” Megatronus muttered. If Optimus wasn’t Prime here, then who was? Wait… Was it Megatron? Is that why he still went by Megatronus? “What of myself?”

“You were still leader of the Decepticons. Feared by many…” Megatronus seemed troubled by the information, but soon brought his neutral face back up.

“I see.” Megatronus thought for a few moments, “I suppose until we can find a way to send you back and bring our own Jack back we have no choice but to resume our daily lives.”

June’s head whipped to him, “I’m sorry, but even if what he says is true, what about _our_ Jack?”

“We cannot return our Jack just the same as this one cannot be returned home.” Megatronus lowers his hand to let Jack on. Jack hesitantly steps on. “We shall inform the other Decepticons of this development.

—

They entered what must be the main room of the base, which was some kind of ship from what Jack could tell. In there stood a tall and slender dark blue and light purple Con, one who Jack assumed, judging by both his place at the computers and build was Soundwave. Raf sat on the console next to Soundwave, his laptop in his lap. Miko was playing her guitar in the corner where a big Con, he was dark orange and red, probably Breakdown by his frame, sat listening. He held some kind of tool in his hand.

There was a hulking Con with wing, colored a pale green with pale orange accents stood, conversing with Breakdown. Jack wasn’t sure who that was. Then, sulking in another corner, wings lowered, was a thin Con, though not as much as Soundwave, he was red and light blue. He perked up when he saw Jack in Megatronus’ hand. This was Starscream, Jack figured.

“Oh, Jack you’re awake!” Starscream lurched forward, then seeming to remember him self moved back and stood stalk straight. “I was… concerned for your wellbeing.”

“Uh,” Jack eloquently spoke.

“Decepticons,” Megatronus instantly gained the entire rooms attention. “I’m afraid I have some news.”

The Con that Jack didn’t recognize looked to Megatronus, “Is it the Autobots?” He asked.

“Not exactly, Skyquake,” Megatronus spoke, “I’m afraid that during the explosion of Wheeljack’s machine, the Jackson we knew was switched with a different one.”

“What!” Starscream screeched, “What do you mean he was ‘switched’?” Jack stumbled back in Megatrunus’ hand, startled by the outburst.

“Precisely what he said,” Knockout said, having followed Megatronus out, holding June in his hand.

Starscream twitched, then, as though a fuse blew in his mind, proceeded to fall to the ground, simultaneously stiff and limp. Knockout sighed and set June down, then moved over to Starscream to check on him.

“Is he alright?” Jack asked, still shocked by the sudden outburst and subsequent fainting.

“He’ll be fine,” Knockout said dismissively, “Just glitched. Shock must have been too much.”

Breakdown looked to Jack, “So Boss, what’s so different about this Jack. He looks the same.”

Megatronus looked down at Jack, then looked back to the Cons, saying, “In his world, us and the Autobots have changed roles.”

“What?” Breakdown asked shocked, clenching his fist. The tool that he held soon crunched and broke in two. “Oops…”

“Breakdown! I needed that!” Knockout yelled angrily from his spot standing by Starscream’s body. Jack chuckled. Knockout was an awful lot like Ratchet. And Breakdown an awful lot like Bulkhead.

“What’s so funny?” Raf asked, while Soundwave stood with a question mark displayed on his face.

“Sorry, Ratchet and Bulkhead always did that in my world.” Jack explained, “Guess somethings find a way to work universally.”

“Are we really supposed to believe his words?” Skyquake asked, eyeing Jack with clear distrust.

“He has no reason to lie to us.” Megatronus said, “And Knockout cannot find a trace of the communication device that our Jack held. It’s signal simply disappeared.”

“It could have broke,” Breakdown offered, though Knockout shook his head in disagreement.

“Not possible, the signal wouldn’t have disappeared like that.” Below Knockout, Starscream had stirred, listening to the conversation. He watched Jack intently.

“What will we do with this version of him?” Starscream asked quietly, in a meek way that Jack wasn’t used to associating with him. He was used to the Starscream that was loud and boisterous, holding a extreme want to be leader by any means. Not this Starscream.

“We will treat him like he is our Jack until we can find a way to switch them back.” Megatronus said, offering his hand that held Jack to Starscream. Starscream tensively held his hand out, giving Jack the option to move there. Jack smiled, then hopped to the hand in front of him. All these Cons would take some getting used to, but they were treating him so well.

“I am Starscream,” He introduced to Jack, “I suppose I shall be your guardian until we can send you home.”

“I know, and I guess you will be.”

Megatronus had a small smile, “I shall notify Shockwave to begin research into how to send you home.”

“Without knowing what Wheeljack was making, it’d be hard.” Knockout commented, hand on his hip.

Miko spoke up from where she now sat on Breakdown’s shoulder, “I took some pics of the stuff in Wheelhack’s lab, would that help?”

“I imagine so,” Megatronus said, then turned to Jack, “I hope you will be able to adjust to here until we can send you home.”

“Thank you,” Was all Jack said


	2. Jack, Side Prime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack did not recognize this world, so different from his own. Why are the Autobots the good guys?

_This is not the world Jack thought he knew._ It was a honestly terrifying realization. He had awoken in a strange, unfamiliar place, surrounded by Cybertronians he’d never met. Except, he was pretty sure he’d seen them before, the names his mom called them ringing a bell. The slim blue and pink one hovering over him, _Arcee_. But he’d met Arcee before, she was deranged, a hunter with no mercy for the unfortunate souls that were her prey. She was the second in command of the Autobots, though she was ruthless in battle. And now she was hovering over him, within a few reaches of his arm.

He was terrified, to say the least. His mom seemed fine, so he highly doubted that they’d been kidnapped, not to mention he was pretty sure Arcee didn’t look like that. Still, he was nearly froze to his spot, stuttering out a “What?” that sounded far more confident than he felt.

“Is something wrong, Jack?” Arcee asked with a worried tone. Jack found his voice left him for a moment, because she knew who he was and said his name with familiarity.

Jack quickly found his voice, “Who are you?”

Arcee frowned and so did his mom, “Jack, you know me. We’re partners.”

His mom spoke next, “Did you hit your head after that explosion?”

“What? No!” Jack looked to June with a shocked expression, “I didn’t hit my head! Why are we here?”

“This is the Autobot base,” June said in response, “We’re here so the Bots can protect us from the Decepticons.”

Protect? From the Decepticons? Either the Autobots learned brainwashing and fed his mom lies, or something wasn’t quite right here. Jack honestly found himself thinking it was the latter.

“No…” He mumbled, “This is wrong. All of it’s wrong. The Autobots?”

June placed her hands on Jack’s shoulder, “What’s wrong?”

“All of this.”

Before Jack could elaborate, thundering footsteps cut him off. A large Cybertronian walked into view, red and blue and as tall as Megatronus. As tall as a Prime. That had to mean something. The Cybertronian reminded Jack of Orion, the leader of the Autobots, but while Orion was tall, this Bot was slightly taller, really more equal to Megatronus than Orion himself.

“How is Jack?” He asked, a voice that Jack nearly jumped at. By Primus, that _was_ Orion! They shared the same voice! Jack was looking at the leader of the Autobots, And Jack was pretty sure his shock - and a certain degree of horror - was apparent on his face.

“Is something wrong?” The strange version of Orion asked, clear concern in his voice.

“I’m not so sure, Optimus,” June said, “He keeps saying that ‘ _everything’s wrong’._ I’m worried.”

Orion, er, Optimus, looked to Jack, “What do you mean by that?”

Jack once again found himself unsure of what to say, “Uh, well, uh… You see…” There was an overwhelming urge to book it and run away, but that would probably make them question his sanity more than what he’s about to say would.

“I don’t think I’m your Jack.” He quickly blurted out.

The three around him looked at him in shock and confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Arcee asked, sceptic.

“I think I’m from another dimension, a parallel universe.”

Optimus spoke next, “Why do you say that?”

“Because in the world I know, the Autobots aren’t very keen on humans.”

“What do you mean by that?” June asked clearly concerned.

“While the government might be on their side, they have caused the deaths of countless humans. They want to turn the planet like Cybertron.” The three around him listened in horror and morbid fascination as he spoke.

“One moment,” Optimus said, then called for Ratchet. He asked Jack to repeat what he told them to Ratchet, “Could such a thing be possible?”

“Since we know the Shadowzone exists,” Ratchet began, though still thinking, “It wouldn’t be surprising if it were.”

“Then what of the Decepticons?” Ratchet then asked Jack, “Are they the good guys?” The way he said the last part made it clear he was skeptical of such a possibility.

“Actually, yeah.” Ratchet looked at Jack like he was crazy, “Megatronus leads the Decepticons, who generally try to keep the Autobots from destroying he planet.”

“Megatronus?” Asked Optimus, an unfamiliar curiosity in his voice. It was a tone that Megatronus would say that Jack always had. Maybe that was part of why he always compared Jack to Orion Pax, back when he was a data clerk. “He still goes by Megatronus?”

“Yeah, I guess he never changed it after he became Prime…”

Arcee was the one who spoke now, clearly shocked, “Megatron became Prime?”

Jack looked to her with the very curiosity he often looked to the Decepticons with, the curiosity he always had when the Cons would talk about Cybertron and their lives before the war. “Yeah, why do you seem so surprised?”

“Because it was I who became Prime in this world,” Optimus replied, clearing up several details.

“Oh,” Jack found himself saying, “That would explain the name change.” At the curious looks of the Bots, Jack continued, “In my world, the Autobot leader is just Orion. I guess he dropped the Pax part once the war started.”

After a while longer of back and forth, Jack answering the other four’s questions and vice versa, they soon were all caught up. Jack found that these Autobots are far better than the Autobots in his world. He found Miko and Raf were here too, with Autobots of their own for guardians. All the talk did make Jack feel sad, it made him miss the Decepticons of his world. Starscream, with all his esteem issues, Megatronus, with his wise words, always knowing what to say, Soundwave, with how he always could help Raf just right, Breakdown, with how much he cared about Miko, Knockout, with how he cared for the human’s safety, despite knowing little of how humans worked. He even missed Skyquake, who he hadn’t known very long, and Shockwave, who’s inventions had a habit of not always working quite right.

That also made him think of another small detail, “What about MECH?” Jack asked, catching the others off guard.

“MECH want to use Cybertronians to create a human and Cybertronian hybrid. Monsters,” Ratchet scoffed, “What? Were they heroes in your world?”

“Not exactly.” Jack groaned, “More like an occasionally insufferable human resistance. Sometimes they helped, sometimes they made everything worse.”

June checks her watch, “It’s about time we head home,”

Optimus spoke to Jack before he got into his mom’s car. He was stilled a bit uncomfortable riding Arcee, since he’d never touched a motorcycle before. “Jack, I hope you will feel welcomed here.”

“You’ve all been really nice, I’m sure it will be fine.”

“Still, you are stuck here until we can find a way to make things right and send you back and bring our Jack here.”

“I know you all will do you’re best, if you’re anything like the Con’s of my world,”

“Your faith is appreciated.”


End file.
